HRV, virtual reality serving the best professional gestures

H for haptics, the science of touch and RV for virtual reality – HRV, located near Laval, develops a range of innovative simulators to study and repeat professional gestures in the areas of health and industry. A presentation of the start-up by Arnaud Cosson, founding Director.

What are HRV’s flagship medical simulation products?

Our first virtual reality simulator, Virteasy Dental (for dental surgeons), still represents a significant share of our revenue. In 2016, we sold several in France, and also in Chile, Bulgaria, Russia… We are also making progress on our obstetric simulator, Virteasy Birth: in July, we completed the ANR* Saga project, culminating in a working prototype. We now require new financing to launch the industrialisation phase, and are studying different options: fund raising, partnerships, R&D calls for projects…

How do you transpose your know-how to the industrial sector?

HRV solutions can use virtual reality to improve the ergonomics of workplaces in industrial sectors. The goal is to identify and prevent professional risks, such as musculo-skeletal disorders. This business generates around one quarter of our revenue, and represents a significant potential. We recently won a call for tender for a very innovative R&D project, carried by the University of Lorraine, that aims to build a decision-making tool for adapted physical activities. We will carry out a study on human metrology to measure health risks depending on movements. This pioneering analyse of “human 4.0” aims to enrich medical knowledge, and will also allow us to improve our offer for the industrial sector.

What are your priority export markets?

Whilst we are targeting the European market for the moment, we have also sold machines on other continents, without marketing activities. We have a partner in China, where marketing is limited, and are beginning to develop in Africa, particularly in North African countries.

* Agence nationale de la recherche (National Research Agency).

Milestones

Created in 2013 next to Laval (Mayenne, France), HRV has around ten employees. In 2016, revenue should reach €1M.